Cucumber Wakame Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 medium english cucumber
• 4 tbsp dehydrated wakame seaweed
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp naturally-brewed tamari soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds

Preparation:

1. Place 4 tbsp dried wakame seaweed in a bowl. Break the wakame into smaller bite-size pieces if they are not pre-cut. Pour warm water to completely cover the wakame by at least a couple of inches. Dried wakame soak up a lot of water. Check in a few minutes and add more water if necessary to ensure all the wakame are submerged. It takes about 15 minutes to rehydrate.

2. In the meanwhile, slice 1 medium English cucumber into thin slices. You can use a knife, mandoline, or a spiralizer like I did in the video. 

3. Mix 1 tsp sea salt evenly with the sliced cucumbers. Let it rest in a bowl for about 10 minutes. The cucumber will release the excess juice through osmosis. 

4. Combine rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, maple syrup (or an equal amount of sugar if you don't have maple syrup), tamari soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl to make the dressing.

5. Squeeze out the excess cucumber juice, and strain away excess water from the rehydrated wakame. Discard the water used to rehydrate wakame, but you can save the salted cucumber juice for other use. See recipe notes.

6. Place strained cucumber and wakame in a bowl, pour over the dressing, and garnish with black and white sesame seeds.

https://www.yangsnourishingkitchen.com/cucumber-wakame-salad

Zucchini Bread

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. olive oil, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or ground cinnamon
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 medium (6 to 7 inch) zucchini, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Optional: 1 cup toasted nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, or currants. 

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2 inch loaf pan. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spice in a bowl. Whisk together sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a second bowl.
2. Add wet ingredients to dry, and stir to combine. Fold in grated zucchini any optional mix-ins. Transfer batter to prepared pan (it should be about 3/4 full).
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the bread starts to pull away from the edge of the pan, 50 minutes to 1 hour. 

https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/a35540750/zucchini-bread/

Also, if you are running out of ideas for summer squash, try freezing it!!:

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/cooking-tips-tutorials/a36611081/how-to-freeze-summer-squash/

 

Pink Greens

 

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch of beet greens
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

Preparation:

1. Wash and trim the beet greens. If the stems are very thick, it's worth trimming them back a bit.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the garlic, shallot, and red pepper flakes in the olive oil until slightly browned. Add the black pepper, sugar, and salt.
3. Place the beet greens in the pan, pour 1/4 cup water over them, and immediately cover. Once the greens have cooked down, for 1 to 2 minutes, remove the lid and stir. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, allowing the water to evaporate.
4. Just before serving, pour the vinegar over the greens. Serve and enjoy!

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pink-greens-388629